We have some sweet, kind friends who would lend a hand to anyone.

Late Sunday afternoon they had a knock on the door and there stood a small family, father, mother, 2 little children and a wee baby. They said they were between house sitting jobs and needed a room for a few days. Our friends saw the baby and children and agreed to help them out. The family is from Germany.

Since hearing of this the people in our social group are very upset. Apparently there is a German website that gives addresses and tips for people to have a free holiday as New Zealanders are very kind and generous. And to especially find older people as they are easier to persuade.

One other woman said they had a knock on the door about 8.00pm and a young German couple asked if they could pitch their tent in the paddock. It was raining and cold so the home owner said they could use the spare room. Next thing the bath is being run and so on.

Our friends have given the family till Thursday morning and then they must leave as they now realise they are being taken advantage of.

I am speechless at the audacity.

Any other experiences?



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/2018 06:19AM by Ali W.

That’s appalling, I’ve never heard anything like it. A website like that needs to be taken down.

That's absolutely astonishing! Your poor friends. I hope they manage to get them out without any trouble.

Our friends told their house guests they needed to be gone by 9.30am Thursday and they went. No trouble which was a good thing. While there they were asked to do some chores around the yard for their keep which they did

A lesson learned and will not be repeated.

Never heard of that but what a risk to take when you have family with you. I guess they would have to pay for a motel if no one responded.

I was searching German google for sites that might offer free accommodation here but all I could find was couch surfing. The sites said that you might be offered a bed or a couch or a mattress on the floor. Also that you should not expect to be able to stay for more than a couple of nights unless you get on very well and should also give something in return, like a bottle of wine or something from your home country. Did your friends ask how the family knew to approach them. Such risky business for all parties.

A friend in our social group has a daughter who owns a farm - they have Woofers regularly and one of them actually showed her the website that gives addresses and places where people might have luck asking for accommodation or free food etc. So it is a real thing.

Apparently the family our friends helped had been house sitting in a street a fair distance from our friends and when that was finished they just walked around looking for larger homes and door knocked. They must have had a lot of refusals to end up where they did.

Our friends don't want to talk about it any more as they are embarrassed that everyone is cluck clucking at them.

I just put it up here to make people aware that this goes on.